"I can only say Master's condition is worse than you imagine."
"Because of our ideological differences, I haven't set foot in the Pope's Hall for years."
"This time, seeing Master, I found the flaw in his heart has grown unimaginably vast."
"So I sent Sage to retrieve Athena."
"With the Holy War imminent, a compromised Pope would be a fatal blow to the Sanctuary."
"You know better than I the power Master wields."
"If necessary, I hope you can oversee the Pope's Hall."
Kaiser spoke candidly about Itia's state.
Both were survivors of the previous Holy War.
Both had attained a stable Eighth Sense.
Itia was known as the mightiest being on earth.
Only Krest, standing before Kaiser, could match him.
In the original timeline, Itia rebelled.
He swayed and controlled all the Gold Saints of the Zodiac, except Cancer.
Krest alone suppressed three current Gold Saints.
And expelled the Underworld's influence.
Single-handedly turning the tide.
"Is it that severe?"
Krest didn't doubt Kaiser's words.
To him, Kaiser was the pinnacle of this generation's Gold Saints.
Possibly the most talented and powerful among them.
It wasn't surprising he'd notice such things.
"I understand. I'll take charge of the Pope's Hall until Athena returns, then decide."
Krest's expression was grave.
After parting with Kaiser, his spiritual body became a streak of light, crossing the Twelve Zodiac Temples.
"Old friend, it's been too long."
In the Pope's Hall, Itia sensed Krest's Cosmo.
"That kid Kaiser wasn't wrong."
"Your condition is worse than I imagined."
"Your Light of the Heart is nearly extinguished."
"Have humans truly disappointed you so much?"
Seeing Itia in person, Krest realized the situation was even graver than Kaiser described.
Itia teetered on the edge of corruption.
A heavy aura of death clung to him.
"Hope?"
"What hope is there for humans like these!"
"Look at the world, Krest!"
"War, plague, betrayal, greed…"
"Humanity's flaws are laid bare."
"Even if we win the Holy War, humans will slaughter each other to extinction!"
"What's wrong with my vision?"
"For the Sanctuary to lead the world directly... is that wrong?"
Itia roared, unable to contain his fury.
Facing Kaiser, Sage, and his other disciples, he could mask his emotions.
Make himself unreadable.
But before Krest, his closest friend, his emotions erupted, unleashed.
"Your vision isn't wrong."
"But you haven't considered the Sea Realm or the Underworld."
"As humans, we can't oppose the gods."
Krest's words calmed Itia's agitation.
He sat silently on the Pope's throne.
"Indeed, how can humans defy gods?"
"This Holy War, ongoing for millennia... when will it end?"
"Is there no end at all?"
"Before you came, Kaiser spoke to me."
"He said the time isn't right."
"A Godslayer will rise…"
Itia's voice held unconcealed despair, yet a flicker of hope for the future.
"Then live to see the future Kaiser spoke of."
Krest looked at his friend.
After venting, Itia's aura noticeably improved.
"I don't have your longevity."
Itia replied with a wry smile.
Krest, blessed with divine blood, far outlived him.
Krest fell silent.
Without divine blood, he couldn't have kept up with Itia.
The last Holy War was Itia's stage.
"I believe Lady Athena won't begrudge a drop of divine blood."
Krest spoke without confidence.
But he genuinely wanted Itia to live on.
Time flew, and a month passed swiftly.
A beam of light descended, drawing the gaze of every Saint in the Sanctuary to its entrance.
A warm yet resolute Cosmo enveloped the Sanctuary.
"Athena has finally returned."
Sensing her Cosmo, Kaiser breathed a sigh of relief.
The Sanctuary's atmosphere had been oppressively tense.
Krest, guarding the Pope's Hall, had refused all Gold Saints' requests for audience.
This stirred unease among those in the Twelve Temples.
But with Athena's return, that unease began to fade.
Seeing the Sanctuary at peace, Sage and Hakurei relaxed.
"Lady Athena, to the Pope's Hall."
Sage and Hakurei spoke respectfully.
"Very well."
A melodious female voice replied.
This generation's Athena was striking.
Born of the earth, raised on the earth.
Her presence was steadfast, her gaze unwavering.
She already carried the aura of a war goddess.
Her surging Cosmo spread unconsciously, compelling reverence.
A commanding, regal figure.
Clang… Clang… Clang…
The bell of the Star Observation Tower rang.
The summoning signal for the Gold Saints.
All Twelve Zodiac Gold Saints were to assemble at the Pope's Hall.
"Phew, the most dangerous moment has passed safely."
Kaiser exhaled deeply.
With Athena back in the Sanctuary, Itia's rebellion was thwarted.
Her peak Cosmo would prevent even the Twin Gods from breaching the Sanctuary's barrier.
The crisis of internal strife in the Sanctuary was resolved.
Now, it was time to prepare for the Holy War.
***
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